A nation must think before it acts.
February 16, 2023
The Confrontation with Russia and US Grand StrategyOver the past year, two understated but dramatic shifts in US strategy have taken place: the United States no longer seeks to prioritize cooperation with Russia and no longer expects to forestall greater Russia-China cooperation. Support for Ukraine becomes... Read more |
February 15, 2023
Putin the Green? The Unintended Consequences of Russia’s Energy War on EuropeAfter Russia’s February 24, 2022, re-invasion of Ukraine, all eyes turned to the brutal spectacle of Europe’s largest war since 1945. Yet, Russia’s ill-fated attempt to assert its sphere of influence in Europe has not been confined to... Read more |
February 10, 2023
Devastating Earthquakes in Turkey Could Fundamentally Alter the Political LandscapeEarly in the morning of February 6, two earthquakes devastated southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, collapsing buildings across an astonishing radius of several hundred kilometers. More than 22,000 people have died and tens of thousands more are wounded. Days... Read more |
February 2, 2023
Tanks a Lot (Well, Actually Not That Many for Ukraine)The decision by Western countries to send tanks to Ukraine is a welcome one, but tanks—at least in their current numbers—will not change the course of the war. Nevertheless, the decision represents increasing Western confidence in Ukraine, and an... Read more |
February 1, 2023
Turkey’s New Foreign Policy: Ankara’s Ambitions, Regional Responses, and Implications for the United StatesFor the past century, Turkey’s foreign policy has been driven by the need to preserve the achievements of the Lausanne Treaty in the face of often serious threats from major powers. As a result, Turkey was a predominantly... Read more |
January 31, 2023
Japan’s Bigger Defense Budget: Getting to Effective Deterrence“We have to prepare for realistic possibilities to protect our people,” counseled Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a political debate in October 2021. To do so, he argued Japan must not only strengthen its Self-Defense Forces (SDF), as... Read more |
January 30, 2023
Wagner Group Redefined: Threats and ResponsesWho, what, and where is Wagner Group today? Once a Kremlin asset used exclusively in Africa and Syria, the mercenary group redeployed most of its forces to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Wagner Group has changed irrevocably since the... Read more |
January 25, 2023
The Realist Case for UkraineEditor’s Note: The Russian invasion of Ukraine was the most significant geopolitical event of 2022. Beginning with Dov Zakheim’s comments in the Spring 2022 issue, Orbis authors have discussed the ramifications of the invasion. As we approach the one-year anniversary, Revisiting Orbis will... Read more |
January 24, 2023
Call for Papers: Orbis Special Issue on ChinaThe Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is pleased to announce that it is soliciting academic articles for a Fall 2023 special issue of Orbis focused on China and geoeconomics. FPRI is especially interested in academic articles that contribute new... Read more |